Chromosomal aberrations (CAs) are an important tool for assessment of exposure to pesticides. Genotoxic potential of pesticides is a principal risk factor for long‐term health effects. The present study was aimed toward the assessment of CAs among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides and comparison with nonagricultural workers not exposed to pesticides. A total of 296 subjects were enrolled in the study: exposed (n = 148) and nonexposed subjects (n = 148) from Punjab. A significantly high frequency of aberrations was seen in peripheral blood lymphocytes of exposed subjects as compared with nonexposed ones. Most CAs were present as loss (aneuploidy) and were observed significantly in subjects having a history of alcohol consumption. It can be, thus, concluded that agricultural workers exposed to a mixture of pesticides, in addition to being alcoholic, are at a greater risk of genotoxic damage. It is highly recommended that the agricultural workers are educated regarding the potential hazards of occupational exposure to pesticides.

中文翻译：

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印度旁遮普邦接触农药的农业工人中的染色体畸变评估

染色体畸变（CA）是评估农药暴露的重要工具。农药的遗传毒性潜力是长期健康影响的主要危险因素。本研究旨在评估接触农药的农业工人中的CA，并与未接触农药的非农业工人进行比较。共有296位受试者参与了研究：来自旁遮普邦的暴露者（n = 148）和未暴露者（n = 148）。与未接触者相比，在接触者的外周血淋巴细胞中观察到畸变的频率很高。大多数CAs以损失（非整倍性）形式存在，并且在有饮酒史的受试者中得到明显观察。因此可以得出结论，暴露于农药混合物的农业工人，除了酗酒外，遗传毒性损害的风险也更大。强烈建议对农业工人进行有关职业性接触农药的潜在危害的教育。